A good read on global trends

During the 3rd Shanghai International Online Literature Week, which ran from Monday to Wednesday, discussions regarding the global trend of online literature revolved around the theme "Starting with Good Content: The Popularity Code of C Drama". The event brought together overseas online literature writers, Chinese scholars specializing in the field and international industry insiders.

These days, C Dramas, or Chinese Dramas, are as popular as J Dramas (Japanese Dramas) and K Dramas (South Korean Dramas), says Ouyang Youquan, head of the online literature research institute at Central South University.

"C Drama has emerged as a symbolic term, reflecting the widespread popularity of TV series and audiovisual products adapted from Chinese online novels. This also signifies the growing influence of Chinese online literature in the global market," he says.

With captivating stories, online literature allows overseas audiences to understand Chinese culture better, he says.

Daria Kuznetsova, president of the publishing house Freedom under the Russian publishing group Eksmo, says that many young Russians like watching Chinese TV dramas and cartoons and reading Chinese online literature. The cultural elements in those works such as poetry, guqin (a seven-stringed zither), paintings and calligraphy are refreshing to Russian audiences, she says.

US online novelist Lenaleia says that Chinese online novels that target women are becoming increasingly popular in the United States and "readers enjoy love stories and get to know the bigger backdrop of life in China".

While Indian online novelist Raj_Shah_7152 finds "many major events that impact humanity" in Chinese online literature and has gained a broader and deeper perspective on writing through reading it, Guiltythree from Russia says that "I found in China, men good at science are considered sexy but that is not the case in the West".

Reading Chinese online literary works, many of which have very rich worldviews and vivid characters, helps people like Nigerian online writer Magecrafter improve their ability to write longer stories.

Duan Huaiqing, professor of Chinese language and literature at Fudan University, says that he reads online novels about cultivating immortality because he believes this type of novel consistently embodies a pursuit of culture and the essence of life, exploring different boundaries and trying to go beyond external and internal limits.

For the modern science education and technological cultures, online novels provide a valuable reading supplement and can incorporate many related themes, such as personal growth and education, he says.

He once supervised a student from Thailand who, after graduation, took up a fulltime job translating Chinese online novels into Thai to support the student's family.

"This indicates that the development of online literature over the past two decades has created a thriving landscape not only in China but also globally."

In addition to digital text, Chinese online novels have entered overseas markets in other forms. Yukiko Sugiyama, executive vice-president of Kakao Piccoma Corp in Japan, says that in the past 100 years, the Japanese market has been self-sufficient, making it hard for overseas works to break through. However, since 2020, Webtoons, digital comics designed to be read by scrolling vertically on digital devices, have become popular in Japan, with many hits coming from China.

Popular online literary works and their adaptations have also boosted the consumption of "Guzi", or IP goods, related to ACGN — animation, comics, games and novels — including badges, figurines, keychains and other stationery accessories.

The "Guzi" economy boomed in 2024 and even boosted the real economy, says Tang Qiao, deputy director of the research center of online literature under the Institute of Literature with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Two big players in 2024 were the "Guzi" related popular online novels Joy of Life and The King's Avatar and their adaptations.

For Yuewen Group, 2024 also marks an important year for exploring the overseas "Guzi" market, says Mei Renjie, general manager in charge of overseas business of the group, one of the world's largest online literature platforms.

"Our works are known for distinctive storytelling and character depth. The 'Guzi' culture will facilitate us to better develop the IPs of good stories and increase their influence."

Yang Zhan, the group's general manager of content operations, says that captivating stories are the core appeal of Chinese online literature abroad. This appeal is rooted in two main aspects, he says. First, it originates from the commercialization of online literature pay-to-read models developed over 20 years ago, which motivated writers to improve their storytelling skills. Second, it stems from the serialized nature of online literature creation where reader-author interactions make it more engaging and companionable, he says.

During the international online literature week, a report released by the China Audiovideo and Digital Publishing Association revealed that in 2023, China's online literature industry earned 4.35 billion yuan ($597 million) from international markets, a 7 percent increase from the previous year.

Chinese online literature are rapidly gaining traction with the potential for artificial intelligence and AI translation to enhance their worldwide distribution.

For instance, Webnovel, an international portal under the group, published around 6,000 translated novels by November, including over 2,000 AI-translated works this year, a 20-percent rise from last year.

Being part of the week, the Webnovel Spirity Awards 2024 awarded 15 titles created by writers around the world.

Among them, Two Times Rejected Luna, the Desire of All Alphas by Ghanaian Glorious_Eagle, Mr President: You Are the Daddy of My Triplets by Pakistani JessicaKaye911, The First Legendary Beast Master by Canadian writer Aoki_Aku, and Obtaining 10x Rewards! Reincarnated into a Novel as a Side-character! by Indian writer Winter-Dragon_1 won gold awards.

In overseas markets, Yuewen Group has been developing online novels into other adaptations. Nearly 70 percent of the WSA winning titles have been adapted into printed books, audiobooks, comics, TV series and films. Among them, the audiobook adaptation of My Vampire System has been viewed 243 million times, works like Hero of Darkness have been adapted into comics, and The Billionaire's Genius Wife has been adapted into short videos.